A-League: Cassio to be celebrated as one of Reds' best

For any player 150 matches with one club is a feat fit for a pat or two on the back, but for an import on Australian soil it's an extraordinary achievement.

While most football followers will consider marquees Dwight Yorke, Robbie Fowler, Alessandro Del Piero, Benito Carbone, Emile Heskey and Shinji Ono as the best imports seen in the A-League, none of those big names can match the longevity and loyalty shown by the small man who lines up each week at left back for the Reds.

Renowned for his forward-running flair and cheeky overlapping runs down the wing, Cassio is a fan favourite who has embraced the Australian lifestyle.

The 32 year-old, who stands as one of the league's shortest players at 169cm, signed with the Reds in 2007 and after falling in love with his adopted home he became an Australian citizen, along with his wife and two sons - his youngest born in Adelaide.

In his first season Cassio won the club champion award and was also voted the Player's Player of the Year, showing the high regard in which he is held within the team.

Later he won the club champion award for a second time.

A frequent goal scorer despite his defensive duties, the Brazillian not only swings in some mean crosses and free kicks, but also regularly leads in goal assists for the Reds.

Cassio has also become an important link for the club in recruiting and retaining South American players.

This season he's acted as an interpreter for United's two Argentine recruits, even translating to reporters during a press conference with Jeronimo Neumann when the striker was under the microscope accused of diving.

And despite playing most of his matches with a smile on his face, Cassio feels so passionate for his club that he has also displayed small glimpses of his South American spice.

In 2011 he barged out of training after an altercation with youth league player Frankie Monterosso and more recently he left the rooms in anger after the side lost to league newcomers Western Sydney.

Cassio has learnt many lessons in football the hard way.

Growing up in Rio de Janeiro, Cassio played for the team he supported as a boy, Flamengo, and survived being booed by his own supporters after missing a vital penalty kick in a cup match, as well as being pelted with rocks on the team bus after the side performed poorly.

That sort of experience has made him an asset to the Reds and the A-League itself, and his composure under pressure speaks for itself.

It still amazes me that despite his ageing frame, Cassio can skip past his opponents with the same, well executed move each time - a perfectly timed fake inside and then cut back outside seems to work, no matter who he comes up against.

He's been the one stable member of Adelaide's defence for the past five years, along with captain Eugene Galekovic, and one of the club's longest servants.

A true leader on the pitch and true gentleman off it, congratulations Cassio and thank you for what you've brought to the A-League.